Container handle



May 21, 1957 L. A. BEYER CONTAINER HANDLE Filed March 12, 1954 lawns/we- 4 8s A uvmvroa yea 'l E mus/s United Stat CONTAINER HANDLE Lawrence A. Beyer, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Haynes Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 12, 1954, Serial No. 415,785

1 Claim. (Cl. 215-100) The present invention relates to a handle structure which is particularly designed and adapted for use with a liquid container which is provided with a hollow neck portion through which fluid may be poured into the container or the fluid discharged from the container.

The handle structure which is herein disclosed finds particular use in connection with containers, usually made of glass, and of such size as will contain a quantity of fluid, as for instance, a gallon, the handle construction being attached to the neck of the container in such fashion as to be securely held in its relation to the neck of the container, but which is so designed that the bail portion of the handle structure may be moved from a vertical position throughout various angular positions in either direction from the vertical position. Moreover, the construction is such that the bail when moved will remain in the position to which it has been moved, rather than dropping down upon the side of the bottle.

Furthermore, the handle construction which is herein disclosed is provided with means whereby it may be locked in its position upon the fluid container, thus preventing accidental disassociation of the handle device from the container with which it is associated.

Because of the nature of the use to which the herein disclosed handle structure is to be put, it is essential that it be made simple in construction and thereby produced at a low cost of manufacture.

Reference is made to the drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a fluid container having a neck portion with which is assembled a handle structure forming the substance of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the container and handle structure as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the container with the associated part of the handle looking in the direction of the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

A container of the general type with which the handle structure herein disclosed may be used is represented at 1. Such container is of a size to hold an appreciable quantity of fluid such for instance, as milk, and the aforesaid container is provided with a hollow neck portion 2 which in turn is provided with a groove as indicated at 3.

The handle structure in part comprises a resilient band or collar 4, preferably made of metal, and of a peripherial length less than 360", but greater than 180, and so provides end portions 6 which extend beyond a transverse diameter of the band intersecting the portions 5 of the band to which reference will be later made.

This band 4 is preferably made of metal which is inherently resilient so that in assembling the band 4 upon the neck of the container, it may be sprung into place by pressing the open portion of the band that is between the portions 6 against the neck of the container and pushing the band 4 so that in effect it snaps into place, forming what may be termed an open resilient collar for engaging the neck of the container.

Upon the' band 4 the're is -.provided upon diametrically opposite portions thereof, rounded portions" 5 forming;

ears which extend outwardly from the band. Each of these enlarged portions 5 is provided with a keyhole opening comprising a rounded portion 7 and an extension slot 8.

The bail portion of the handle structure is indicated at 9, and more particularly shown in Fig. 1, and is generally of U-shape and has its end portions 10 bent inwardly, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 1 so that the end portion may be assembled with respect to the band 1 by having the portions 10 extend into and through the openings 7 in the portions 5 in the band 4.

The bail is formed of a resilient material such as metal wire and the bias of the side members of the handle is such that when the handle is assembled with respect to the members 5 of the band, the end portions 10 of the bail will extend into contact with and frictionally impinging against the neck of the receptacle with which the handle structure is associated, thus producing a frictional engagement between the ends of the members 10 and the wall of the container with which the extensions 10 contact.

Cooperating with the band 1 is an inherently spring resilient wire or member of generadly semicircular shape as indicated at 11. This member 11 at its end portions is bent to form inwardly extending portions 12, the end portions thus described occupying the portions 8 of the keyhole opening formed in the members 5 of the band 1. The member 11, as shown in Fig. 3, is of such dimension that when assembled with respect to the member 1 upon the neck of a container, the member .11 extends part way around the neck and by virtue of the engagement of the bent-in portions of the member 11 with the member 1, it forms a locking member which will prevent any slippage which would tend to disassociate the band 4 from the neck of the bottle.

Moreover, the extensions or inturned end portions of the member 11 when associated with the keyhole slot 8, impinge against the inturned portions 10 of the bail 9, thus having a frictional contact therewith which is effective in maintaining the handle 9 in any angular position to which it may be adjusted.

The arrangement of the bail is such that it may be moved to its extreme side position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which is a desirable feature in view of the fact that where such a handle arrangement is used in connection with a container for a dairy product such as milk, the washing apparatus which is used in cleansing such containers, must have the open neck portion freely available for the entrance of mechanisms which accomplish the washing operation.

It will be very clear from the foregoing description that the handle construction with its associated parts is simple in construction, so arranged that its: parts may be readily assembled with respect to each other and with respect to the container with which it is to be associated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A handle structure adapted to be used with a bottle container having a neck portion comprising a collar having diametrically disposed ears, each provided with a keyshaped opening, the said collar having end members which extend beyond the ears of the said collar and the whole collar structure being under tension to clasp the neck of the bottle when the collar is snapped thereon, a loop-shaped handle having at the ends thereon diametrically in-turned extensions, said extensions occupying the openings in the said ears and bearing against the side wall of the bottle neck, a second resilient member adapted to engage with the neck of the bottle opposite to that Patented May" 21, 1957 portion of the neck engaged by the collar, said member at its ends being provided with an inwardly extending por-.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis Mar. 20, 1906 Russell May 6, 1911 Cole Mar. 20, 1923 Nelson Apr. 1, 1924 Baxter Dec. 26, 1933 

